The Immortal Life of Agencies

EssenceMediacomX Chief Transformation Officer on building careers in a changing world - Sue Unerman

Jun 25, 2024

34:12

Sue Unerman is the Chief Transformation Officer of EssenceMediacomX. And having spent 34 years with Mediacom in its various incarnations, it’s fair to say that ‘transformation’ is a subject that Sue knows a thing or two about.

Unpacking her personal journey across five decades (sorry, Sue!), this far-reaching conversation explores how to build an agency career amidst constant change and increasing uncertainty.

From playing to your strengths, to the impact of having great bosses, Sue shares her typically thoughtful observations on how to thrive as an introvert, particularly if your skills don’t conform to the norms.

We also address the resilience of the patriarchy, in particular how gender influences career progression and why men progress faster than equally capable women.

Sue also advocates strongly for fairness and straight talking, as well as how agency leaders can foster a sense of belonging - especially for young talent as they make their way in the industry.

HIGHLIGHTS

[02.10] Sue’s career journey.

[04.48] The importance of collaboration.

[08.22] What it takes to play to your strengths.

[12.30] The two ways of building a career in agencies.

[16.11] Different approaches for introverts and extroverts.

[20.34] The value of fairness and straight talking.

[23.50] Levelling the playing field for women in agencies.

[30.21] Glass-slipper syndrome and what makes a ‘job’ a job.

MORE ABOUT SUE:

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/sue-unerman-7945058/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SueU